Telluride came to a close last night, Venice is winding down, which leaves fall’s biggest festival, the Toronto International Film Festival, center stage before its kick off this Thursday. To give indieWIRE readers a clear picture of what this year’s edition of the festival promises, Peter Knegt sat down to chat with Cameron Bailey, currently in his third year as the festival’s co-director. “Massive change has come Toronto way, in the form of a brand new festival center in the TIFF Bell Lightbox and a complete geographical shift of festival activity,” wrote Knegt.

Bailey touted TIFF’s new home, the Bell Lightbox, and the celebration that’s going to go along with it’s official unveiling at the festival. “We’re going to do a big public opening on the first Sunday of the festival and we’re going to open with a massive block party in front of the building,” said Bailey. “All kinds of bands are going to play, including one special surprise guest that we cannot announce yet but he or she or they will be playing. And the public can walk in the building and tour around and have a look at what we’re doing. Then at night, we’re going to start the building’s entry into the film festival with the very first film screening, which will be Bruce McDonald’s “Trigger.” We wanted to find a film that would really be recognize and celebrate our engagement with the Toronto film community that supported us for so many years.”

Other topics that Bailey covered: buzz surrounding this year’s big entries, themes of human rights on the program, the less-high profile films he has ‘high hopes’ for, and late sales.

In another interview, back in Venice, Anne Thompson talked with Swedish sensation Noomi Rapace (aka Lisbeth Salander in the Swedish films based on Stieg Larsson’s “Millennium Trilogy”). Rapace touched on what she has planned for her follow up to the role that brought her international acclaim and fame. “Just back from a recent trip to Hollywood, Rapace admits that she has received “several offers” and will be making an announcement of her next role in the next week or so,” wrote Thompson. “Rapace followed the Millennium films (the third, “The Girl that Kicked the Hornet’s Nest,” will open stateside in November) with the role of Medea on stage in Stockholm; she says she prefers working in film, though, at a greater remove from her audience. (Apparently fans kept taking pictures during the show and mobbing her afterwards). Next she took on the great Swedish actress Pernilla August’s debut film as a director, “Beyond,” playing wife to her own husband Oli Rapace, also a well-known star in Sweden.”

Quick Clicks

– At Telluride The Hollywood Reporter singled out the British royalty drama “The King’s Speech” as a serious potential Oscar contender. “While other films also attracted partisans, “The King’s Speech” was seen as having the broadest support across a broad array of awards categories,” wrote Jay A. Fernandez.

– CTV News provided a comprehensive photo gallery of the past weekend at the Venice Film Festival.

– Over at The Wall Street Journal, Anthony Kaufman picked his ‘Nine to Watch’ at this year’s TIFF. Included were “Black Swan” and “The King’s Speech,” which have already garnered positive reviews at Telluride.

– CBC News provided Canadian readers with a lineup of the big names that will be in attendance at TIFF, including Clint Eastwood, Woody Allen, Robert Redford and Helen Mirren.